This Body of Mine

Self-Portraits

my body has carried me up holy mountains

through lush californian wilds

and crowded concrete jungles

i like the way it pushes on when my mind says, “i can’t”

the way it twists and folds and bends

but not the way it betrays me

when my nerves wreak havoc

waiting for imminent doom that doesn’t arrive

or in my dreams

when i can’t run away fast enough

and when i fall

sending shockwaves along my bones

my body carries the laughter and joy of a thousand ancestors

over oceans, time, and space

forever fluid

flowing

and free